Buckle.



PATENTED JAN. 14, 1908,

I/A. GREY.

BUCKLE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 7. 1907.

m'iz re $51 Cuzo zmeq a a y IRVING A. GREY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

BUCKLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 14, 1908.

Application filed. May 7. 1907. Serial No. 372.398-

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I,IRvINor A. GREY, a citizen of the United States,residing. in New York city, borough of Manhattan, New York, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Buckles, of which the followingis a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in buckles, and is particularlyadapted for use in suspenders, garters, and the like, and has for itsobject to permit the buckle to-remain, when desired, in substantiallythe same position on the wearer while proper adjustment of the straps orwebs for their operating length may be made, and a further object of theinvention is to conceal part of the buckle structure behind the frontstrap or web. I v

.My invention comprises the novel details of improvement and thecombinations of arts that will be more fully, hereinafter set forth andthen pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof,wherein Figure 1, is a front view of a portion of a suspender providedwith my improved buckle, Fig. 2 is an edge view thereof showing thelever open, Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the lever closed, Fig. 4 isa vertical section thereof, Fig. 5 is a rear view, partly in section onthe line 5, 5 Fig. 3, Fig. 6 is a top view thereof, Fig. 7 is a sectionon the line 7, 7, in Fig. 5, Fig. 8 is a rear View of the buckle showingthe lever open, and Fig. 9 is a front view thereof.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in theseveral views.

The main frame of the buckle is shown composed of wire bent to form abottom holdlng bar 1, upwardly extending side bars 2, bent inwardly orreversely at 3, and transversely at 4, providing a pivotal su port forthe lever 5, which is shown provi ed with ears 6 bent around the bar 4,whereby said lever is journaled upon said bar 4. I have shown themeeting ends of bar 1, as covered by a sleeve or clip 7, to hold theadjacent ends of the wire firmly. At 8 is a bar or plate mounted toslide upon the side members 2, and shown having ends at 8 bent aroundthe side bars-2, whereby bar 8 is slidably mounted upon said side bars.The bar or plate-8 is shown bent or curved between its ends as at 8whereby the operating surface of said bar or plate is increased inlength over the distance in a straight line between the side bars 2,(see Fig. 7).

The strap or web 10 is connected with the buckle by passing the sameinto the space between lever 5 and cross bar or plate 8 and between theside members 2, then looping the strap back at 10 passing its part 1Oupwardly behind bar or plate 8, looping the strap downwardly at 10 andpassing its end portion 10 over the front of bar or plate 8 and betweenthe lower edge of the latter and the cross bar 1, whereby the part 10 ofthe strap is interposed between cross bar or plate 8 and the front webof the strap. When lever 5 is closed upon the strap its toothed orgripping portion 5 will engage the strap 10 and press the latter againstthe part 10 of the strap, forcing the latter against the cross bar orplate 8, whereby the front part of the strap will find a resilientbacking against the part 10". By having the cross bar or plate 8 bentbetween its ends, as at 8 the side bars 2 may be brought within thewidth of the front strap. 10 so as to be concealed behind the latter,the cross bar 8 being-shorter than lever 5, while the increased surfaceof the cross bar or plate 8 presented to the part 10 of the strappermits the latter to extend into the recesses formed in the front faceof the cross bar or plate 8 to be pressed by the lever 5 to compensatefor the distance between the side bars 2 which is less than the width ofthe strap 10, and thereby also the parts of the buckle behind the frontpart of the strap may be concealed from view by the strap. A suitableloop 11 may be located in p the bight 10 of the strap.

With this construction, the strain upon the strap in use will'cause thepart 10 of the strap to draw the bar or plate 8 downwardly which willgrip the strap at the lower edge and against bar 1 and hold the strapfirmly thereat. When the strap is to be adjusted for length the lever 5may be opened and the buckle slid along strap 10 in usual manner, andalso the end portion 10 of the strap may be drawn freely through betweenthe bar 8 and the bar 1 for taking up stretching which may occur in thestrap, so that the buckle need not be slid to any great extent along thestrap, as is usual with take-up buckles on suspenders when the strapsstretch, but the buckle may be maintained substantially at the front ofthe wearer by taking up at the end portion 10 in the manner stated. Furvthermore, it will be understood that by means of my improvements thestrap need not be stitched at its inner end to the buckle,

thereby effecting a sav ng in the cost of producing suspenders and thelike having the buckles. I

, Having now described my invention what I claim is 1. A bucklecomprising a frame having side bars and a lower cross bar, a cross barslidably mounted upon said side bars adapted to grip a strap betweensaid cross bars, and a lever pivotally supported by said frame andhaving its gripping portion located in front of said slidable cross barwhen the latter is pulled down by the strap to grip the strap bypressing it against the front face of said cross bar.

2. A buckle comprising a frame having side bars and a lower cross-bar, across bar slidably mounted upon the side bars, and a lever pivotallycarried by the frame to co-act with the slidable cross bar, the distancebetween said side bars being less than the length of the lever toconceal the slidable cross bar behind the lever.

3. A buckle comprising a frame having side bars and a lower cross bar, across bar carried by the side bars and bent vertically between its endsto provide a front working face that is greater in length than thedistance between the side bars, to shorten the normal width of a strappressed against said bar while permitting an overlying strap to retainits full width, and a lever connected with the buckle to co-act withsaid bent cross bar.

form a lower cross bar and side bars extending upwardly therefrom, across bar slidably mounted upon said side bars and bent verticallybetween its ends to provide a working surface of greater length than thedistance between said side bars, to shorten the normal width of a strappressed against said bar while permitting an overlying strap to retainits full width, and a lever pivotally connected with said frame,

' IRVING A. GREY. Witnesses:

A. J. COHEN,

M. M. ROBINSON.

4. A buckle comprising a wire bent to

